GWR 125 Celebrations

[Chris in Prague]

Hi Martin, thanks for this nice photo. The two brake end coaches from the through train will have their guard's compartment stocked up with local food and drink plus imported fine French wines, Champagne, Cognac and Armagnac, at Trepol Bay, for the long journey home, by staff from the "Station Hotel" assisted by some of the 'Chelsea Girls' who travelled over from Cant Cove to help out. When the through train is reformed at Wadebridge there will be a brake end coach at each end of the train with supplies for that half of the train.

Local and visiting enthusiasts are very curious as to what locomotive will take the Trepol Bay portion to Wadebridge?

[port perran]

There has been more GW 125 activity at Trepol Bay today.
Trepol Bay harbour was first reached by the Great western Railway who ran a freight only branch to the harbour from Newquay. The LSWR reached Trepol Bay from the East (Wadebridge) later and built the station there which later became a joint GW/LSWR station.
To celebrate the GW building the first lines into the harbour, the Civil Engineer has granted very special permission for a pannier and autocoach to travel down the incline into the harbour area. This is though to be the first time ever that a passenger vehicle has entered the harbour area.
We see the train carefully descending the incline down to the harbour from the main line :

Later we see it very slowly reaching the harbourside itself. The line in the foreground is the old narrow gauge line serving the harbour :

Later in the day, we see the use of one of the new D63XX diesels standing in the bay platform with a two coach enthusiast special to Plymouth via Chacewater, Truro and Bodmin.
Meanwhile a normal service train for Wadebridge enters the station :

[port perran]

Hi Martin, thanks for this nice photo. The two brake end coaches from the through train will have their guard's compartment stocked up with local food and drink plus imported fine French wines, champagne, Cognac and Armagnac, at Trepol Bay, for the long journey home, by staff from the "Station Hotel" assisted by some of the 'Chelsea Girls' who travelled over from Cant Cove to help out. When the through train is reformed at Wadebridge there will be a brake end coach at each end of the train with supplies for that half of the train.

There has indeed been a special train carrying stock up from the Headland Brewery distribution depot on the harbour at Trepol Bay  to the small goods transfer platform in the station.

[johnlambert]

Some photos of the special workings that passed through Claverdon as part of GWR 125.

The crowds gathered early to catch or see one of the special trains.


First train of the day, a special excursion hauled by Clun Castle in "Great Western" livery.






GWR streamlined rail car and auto coach for local Leamington-Stratford services






GWR 45xx Prarie tank on a train of restored private owner wagons, sponsored by local businesses.






GWR 87xx Pannier tank on a train of GWR/LMS vans and containers






The 87xx returns on a short brake van special




BR livery Manor on a horse box train with GWR horse boxes and a BCK coach.


Cyclist gets a good vantage point for the returning special train.

[Chris in Prague]

Many thanks, John. Another excellent set of photos. The local PO wagons are a very nice rake. One of the GWR horse boxes is for Port Perran and one for Cant Cove but they make a fine set as a rake of three.

[port perran]

Thanks for the pictures John

[port perran]

Just a couple of pictures of activity in relation to GW 125 taken at Trepol Bay today.
First we have a pair of panniers with a train of private owner vans painted in the colours of various companies from North and West Cornwall :


Next we see BB Class 4-6-2 "Hurricane" with the down portion of a GW125 train. The train worked down from Paddington at first light this morning via Westbury, Exeter and Plymouth to Penzance via Wadebridge and the N Cornwall Line. Hurricane came on at Wadebridge and will work the train to Penzance. The train will be worked back to London via the GW main line.
Some passengers (who have paid an extra supplement) will spend the lunch break at the Station Hotel (seen top left) and will later be delivered by train to Truro to catch the returning main train at 16.50. They will enjoy a 5 course lunch expertly cooked by the Head Chef.


Finally we see a 94XX pannier with a three coach train of rather mixed stock (hastily assembled at short notice, running shuttles between Falmouth and Wadebridge via Truro and Chacewater. A rather unusual working necessitating the 94XX to run around its train at Truro and Wadebridge.
In the background we se a 14XX 0-4-2 with an autocoach which will later travel to Truro with the passengers who took luncheon at the Station Hotel. The Head Brewer of the Headland Brewery has created a special "Celebration Ale" for GW 125, presentation bottles of which will be presented to 1st class passengers :

[port perran]

Those enthusiasts who hung around at Trepol Bay were rewarded late on by some more activity.
First we see "Hurricane" working back to Wadebridge double heading a local train with a green Prarie. The double heading was for pathing reasons to avoid an un-necessary path later for the pacific :

Moments later we see the restored T9 heading Eastwards with what is very much a mixed goods train. Even though it is a Sunday, there is still some activity in the harbour area and the clerk at the Castle Estates office appears to be doing some over time as his bicycle is outside the blue hut :

The "Fat Controller" who is overseeing the GW 125 event seems to have taken up a rather "precarious" position to witness the passing of the T9! :

Some 30 minutes later we see a quintessential GW milk train leaving Trepol bay headed for St Erth where it will form the later milk train to Kensington which will probably be headed by a Castle :

[Chris in Prague]

Many thanks, Martin, for two more excellent sets of photos. Bulleid Light Pacifics often worked tender-first on the North Cornwall line (due to a lack of suitably long turntables) and, sometimes, did double-head local trains (the SR pannier tank hauled locals from Bodmin - Wadebridge) to save a valuable path in summer peak periods.

[Chris in Prague]

The SR train of overhauled locos. for GW125 brought to Penmayne from Eastleigh Works by a brand new D65XX, passes through Cant Cove:



Close-ups of the locos. and SR stock:













Alas, the "Battle of Britain" loco's bogie derailed but I did not spot that in the photo. until too late. (I had checked, I thought, all bogies and wheels.) However, the train was travelling very slowly on the freshly relaid track and stopped in time for the bogie of "Hurricane" to be safely re-railed.

[Chris in Prague]

The WR train of overhauled locos. for GW125 brought to Penmayne from Swindon Works by a brand new pair of D63XXs, 'The Terrible Twins', passes through Cant Cove:



Close-ups of the locos. and WR stock:













(Thanks, John, for spotting this BR Black 94XX.)